Bunion-shield.



W. M. SOHOLL. BUNIQN SHIELD. LPPLIOLTIOH FILED JULY 81, 1911.

1,055,809, Patanted Mar. 11, 1913.

M/IWQBS a WILLIAM M. SCHOLL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BUNION-SHIELD. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

I Application filed July 31, 1911. Serial No. 641,556.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. SCROLL, a citizen of the United-States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bunion Shields, of which the following is a specifimtion.

-My invention relates to improvements in bunion shields and more particularly, ton. rubber shields which are adapted to be worn while wearing shoes.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a device wherein not only an advantageous synergistic effect is produced by the retention of sweat and heat from the foot in the locality of the bunion, but additional healing effect is attained by the provision of a tubular opening or bore-in such position in the body of the shield that pressure upon the device, such for instance as results from -walking, will discharge upon the bunion a suitable medicament contained in the bore, such medicament having most favorable conditions of heat and confinement.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the-device; Fig. 52 is a plan view thereof, showing the interior; Fig. 3 is a vertical section thereof, on line 33 of Fig. 1.

In'the drawings, 5 indicates in general the shield, made of rubber, or like substance, and shaped, as shown' in Fig. 2,'to provide a substantially straight lower edge 6, a relatively curved upper edge 7 and curved orv rounded ends, indicated respectively at 8 and 9, so that the shield may fit into the shoe in a vertical position, standing on edge 6.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, my device provides a uniformly curved outersurface 10 for conformit-yi to the inside surface of the slioe,"and as shown in Fig. 1, it provides, in longitudinal section, two surfaces 11 and 12, curved in the op osite direction to the curve of the outer surface 10, and meeting such surface 10 at the ends of the shield in a thin edge, as at l313, so that the foot may not be chafed by a perceptible ridge at the edges of the shield. At the center, the two surfaces 11 and 12 merge together to form a pocket, 14, into which the bunion may snugly fit.

In use, the curved surfaces 11 and 1'2 readily conform to the shape of the foot, the soft resilient rubber bodies included be tween the surfaces 11 and l and the outside surface 1.0 teing' pressed inwardly by the shoe of the user. In vertical section, the surfaces 11 and 12 are generally curved, as shown in Fig. 3, to fit around the outside edge of the foot, adjacent the point of articulation of the metatarsal and phalangial bones of the great toe, such vertical curve and the longitudinal curves above described merging to form the composite curves of the interior surface of the shield, so that the bunion and surrounding fleshy portions of the foot are throughout in intimate con tact with the rubber surface .of the shield. This results in the creation and retention of sweat and heat upon the bunion, which tends to reduce the swelling at the joint.

In order to increase the effectiveness of the shield above described, I provide in the body of the shield, as for instance in the portion included between the inner surface 11 and the outer surface 10, a tubular ,opening or bore 15, for a suitable medicament, said bore lying preferably longitudinally and opening into the pocket 14, so that when the shield' is emplaced, the bunion is proteoted and synergistically treated asabove described, while the bore 15 has its opening closed by contact with the bunion or adjacent surface of the foot. Now, it will be apparent that, if pressure be applied to the outside surface 10- of the shield, near the bore 15', some of the medicament therein contained will be pressed outfinto the moistwarmed space between the bunion and shield, and in walking, for instance, the successive steps taken by the user will each cause such pressure, so that the bunion will be'kept supplied. Further, the medicament, mixing with the confined perspiration, and'maintained warm by the fiprotecting body of rubber', has increased e ectiveness to reduce the swelling and relieve the user of pain.

Having described Iny invention,i what I claim is;

I 1'. 'A"bun-ion shield of a single piece of flexible, resilient material having an exterior surface shaped for conformity with the shoe, and an interior surface, having a central pocket shaped for conformity with the fleshy surface of a foot over and adjacent a bunion, said shield being very thin in the portion overlying the bunion pocket and thickened for pressure distribution in front of and in rear of the bunion pocket, and said shield having a medicament-receiving bore running lengthwise of the shield in one of said thickened portions, wholly to one side of the pocket and opening laterally into the pocket.

2. A bunion shield of-material having the essential qualities of rubber, said shield having its exterior surface forming a long longitudinal arch and a shorter transverse arch and having its interior surface formed to fit a great toe joint, and with a bunion-receiving pocket extending nearly to the crest of the exterior arch so that thicker portions of the shield lie, on opposite sides, longitudinally, of the said pocket, said shield having a bore for the reception of a medicament extending longitudinally of one of said thicker portions and opening into a side of the bunion pocket.

3. A bunion shield, of material having the essential qualities of rubber, said shield having an outer surface for conformity to the inner surface of a shoe, and an inner surface longitudinally providing two curved surfaces 11 and 12, and vertically roviding a curve to fit the outside edge 0 a foot adjacent the affected joint of the great toe, said several inner curves forming a pocket the inner surface of which is adapted to lie in intimate contact over and around a bunion, for purposes described, and said shield providing between its exterior surface and the interior surface, underlying one of the longitudinal curves (11 or 12) a bore for medicament opening to said bunion-receiving pocket.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence. of two Witnesses.

' W'ILLIAM M. SCHOLL.

In the presence of Fom'zn BAIN, MARY F. ALLEN. 

